Holiday Hair Studio is a tiny salon tucked inside a vintage travel trailer and nestled into an old nursery, right in the Heart of Portland, Oregon. It is clear that Portland loves carts, so it is only natural that this love grow and evolve. That is why we are so excited to introduce you to this evolution. Holiday Hair Studio! On Holiday you are surrounded by twinkly lights, you sip wine or drinking chocolate and enjoy tiny sweets, while the experienced and talented Robin Carlisle transforms you into the prettiest version of yourself.

Everyone wants to be the first to tell their friends about an amazing new food cart that they found… Well, how about a brand new species of cart all together? The Service Cart. In this new version, not only do you take something away with you, but you get to climb aboard this cart and experience the mystique of it all for yourself. This is different from some guy with a mustache serving you a huge sloppy sandwich that sticks between your fingers and gums up your handle bars. This is a tiny whimsical hair salon with pink damask wallpaper and vintage vanity surrounded by a halo of bulb lights. It is a fully functioning beauty parlor with a shampoo bowl and all! It is everything you would find in a high-end salon, except it is especially tiny and adorable… And private! Clients are given a private session with one of Portland’s best hairstylists… How many Portlanders can say, “If you need me I’ll be in my trailer getting my hair done”? Well, now they can.

As well as being the first cart of its kind, Holiday is a fierce competitor for its brick-and-mortar competition. This place is like a treasure trove of enchantment! With fresh Parisian Macarons baking right on board in a miniature oven, its cute factor is through the roof. But it is also clean, open, and spacious considering the venue, with more room in its single station than in the cattle-stall layout of a traditional salon. One thing that makes Holiday special is that everything is special. There is not a detail that has not been thoughtfully executed. In a space this intimate everything must be worthy. And it is, from the custom-built alder cabinets with leather suitcase straps as handles to the refurbished 1929 seltzer bottle used to serve clients pomegranate spritzers. Everything is deliberate and nothing “will do.” From the environment to the services provided, it is all just a grand stage for beauty to happen.

So, yes, we have said much about Holiday herself offering charm and whimsy… But it is master hairstylist Robin Carlisle who clients are paying to see. With over ten years in her field, Robin has styled for a vast array of clients, including television shows, feature films, local newspapers, Portland’s top fashion designers, and more. Aside from an impressive resume, Robin’s personal clients are some of the most satisfied and loyal customers there are.

Now let’s talk location. All this magic is pretty much smack in the middle of our fair city, located in the heart of Portland, at 116 SE 28th Avenue, between Ash and Pine, nestled into the lush overgrowth of an old nursery. Holiday is in good company adjacent to and sharing the old nursery of Artemisia Gallery and Terrarium shop, which is another of Portland’s unique treasures all on its own, but I must say these two businesses compliment each other in so many ways. The setting for Holiday is incredible. Preceding the cart is a small tea patio and mini pathways winding amidst bamboo and fragrant floral greenery (come springtime that is). There could not be a more perfect location and setting for such a unique display of commerce.

Sina Baking LLC’s founder, Jewelie Cordero Schultz, spent her junior year in High School as a foreign exchange student in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, the birthplace of pao de queijo. Jewelie loved pao de queijo so much that she learned the traditional way of preparing it during her stay in Brazil, so that she could recreate it upon returning home to Oregon. In the years following her return from Brazil, Jewelie perfected her recipe for pao de queijo, much to the delight of her family and friends. In 2009 Jewelie decided to turn her hobby of making pao de queijo into a business, and Paobread was born.

Jewelie and her Husband Derek founded Sina Baking, LLC in 2010. Their objective is simple: To produce an authentic and all natural pao de queijo (as well as a few of Jewelie’s delicious variations.) Paobread is currently available in Portland area markets. Julie is a recent graduate of Mercy Corps Northwest’s Foundations Business Planning course. Visit Sina Baking, LLC online.

Week 5 of the Foundations business class, and students are talking about their costs, finishing up research on their competition, and defining their sales unit.

What’s Tracey Blacksmith’s unit of sale? Why a slice of cake… or a gluten free scone… or an almond toffee… or a delicious drizzled dessert pretzel.

She brought all those in to share with her Foundations classmates today, including a delicious sheet cake with the Mercy Corps Northwest logo.

The Foundations class is a great opportunity for participants to talk about their businesses with a group of their peers, and to share what they’re struggling with, what’s working for them, and even just give everyone a taste of what they do. It’s just icing on the cake if they happen to be baking experts and want to share that skill with the class…

Tracey’s business to this point has been word of mouth, but she’s working on getting her business name set and business cards made up. For now, those with a sweet tooth can reach her at tracey [dot] blacksmith [at] yahoo [dot] com.